Letting Success Speak for Itself

Let’s face it. We all love to feel the victory of sweet success. It’s completely normal to enjoy success for what it is. But what we do after our successes is important to consider. For some the joy success brings is not enough. We seek recognition and accolades from those who will notice and applaud our latest achievement.

But is that all bad? Is there anything wrong with wanting a little extra attention for accomplishing something incredible? I don’t think so. I believe we all need a person or a small group of people that are our biggest fans. People who will cheer for us and those for whom we cheer in their successes.

 

But I believe the problem comes when we get the cart before the horse. When we strive for success envisioning the praise we will receive from the outside. When our motives for achieving are about the attention rather than the accomplishment.

I once read a quote that said

Work hard in silence. Let success make the noise.

Quiet success is incredibly difficult in a world where the number of followers or comments or likes is constantly monitored. Where every kid gets a trophy. Where hard work is deemed less important than notoriety.

You see, we live in a noisy world. Social media screams for our attention. We have more useless information than we have time to ingest. Negative news stories bombard our notifications. Who can blame us for wanting to get our piece of the pie? For wanting to make sure we are heard above the racket?

But I believe there is a better way to celebrate success than to shout it from the rooftops.

 

First, we must be content in the accomplishment.

We must ask ourselves, “Have I accomplished what I set out to do? And if so, is that enough? Or do I want to raise the bar and shoot for more?” When we can reach the place where we do not rely on others’ perceptions of our abilities and accomplishments, we are free to continue to put our head down and work harder on the next goal for success.

Next, we must give credit where credit is due.

I’m pretty sure I am the only person on the planet that actually reads the acknowledgment page in a book. Yep, you heard it correctly. I want to know how the author completed the amazing task of writing a book. Have you ever noticed how many people are recognized on those pages? It’s incredible to me how many people it actually takes to write a single book. It’s true for any accomplishment, though. When we experience success, it only happens because of other people. So when we are enjoying the joy of success, it is imperative to look back and say thank you.

Finally, we must share our success.

And by share, I don’t mean shout out what we did that was noteworthy. That’s called bragging. Ron Clark, a successful American educator, wrote a book called The Essential 55. In it, he lines out 55 very specific rules that he teaches kids. Some are practical, while others are simply needed life lessons. Rule #5 states: If you win or do well at something, do not brag. I like it. I don’t think it is just a rule for kids. There are too many people in the world tooting their own horn. Instead, we must use our success to make our world a better place. Successful in business? Share your wealth. Successful in relationships? Model how to be a good friend, husband, wife, etc. Successful in sports? Use your gift to mentor an up-and-coming athlete.

We’ve all heard the old adage — Actions speak louder than words.

So if we want people to stand up and take notice of us, maybe we should stop talking and get moving.

Let your success make some noise.

In your world, how do successful people make a difference? Share your thoughts!

 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, remembering that as members of the same body you are called to live in harmony, and never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you.

Colossians 3:15